Seventeen Seconds
by onceuponasavacamarah
Summary: Based on the conclusion of the Psych episode "Deez Nups". Shawn's insight of the situation. SHULES HEARTBREAK WARNING!


"Seventeen Seconds"

Shawn breathed in the atrocious reality of the moment. He tried to wake himself up from the wretched nightmare he was having, but it wasn't a dream. It was happening. Here in the present moment he stared at truth playing its devilish game. His worst fear beat him to a bitter end, for the result left his heart feeling like it was crushed by a Mac truck, shattering it in a thousand pieces and it sure as death hurt ever so excruciatingly painful. His eyes stung like fire. Firstly from the alcoholic drink that was just sent into face like a tidal wave not more than five seconds ago, and secondly from the tears that were on the edge of springing up. But, he could not cry. His entire being was in the severest case of shock and disapproval, not only because of the rejection that emotionally slapped him across the face, but because he just reaped the results of his unfruitful gift of lying.

_"Are you telling me this is all a lie?"_  
_"Please don't make me answer that."_

Shawn was left with his face dripping the remains that was once upon a time inside the glass in Juliet's hand. He watched her as she fumed with vehemence and her angel-like features create the contagious tears. She stormed away while he stood immobile with his hand over his torn heart.

_No, Sweetheart…this…this is all me._

For once in his lifetime, Shawn stood there dumbfounded with nothing left to say. He knew that one day his whole shenanigan-life style would no longer be an abstract piece of art. Living every moment of the day with Jules didn't help cover up the lie as much as he hoped.

_Falling in love with you was never part of the plan._

Juliet was bound to find out sooner than later. Shawn knew that he had to slip it out to her somehow at the perfect moment and in his own time, not like through a mobile text or airplane smoke in the sky, but face to face as he simply told her the absolute truth. But of course it didn't turn out the way he wanted it to be. It had to be accidental. It had to end up where his lips didn't tell her the truth. She had to find out the hard way. It had to be this opportune moment and it had to punch him square in the gut, or rather splash him in the face. There was no escape and there was no point of lying to her again. She didn't deserve it any longer and he already dug himself in a hole six feet deep.

_But, I wasn't ready Jules._

Shawn followed Jules with his shaken eyes as she stepped out of sight. The brightest spot in his life stalked out the door with no hope of return. His throat closed up leaving him with no words left to speak.

_Wait…Jules._

The words never left his mouth.

Gus hung up his phone in haste as soon he looked down at the scenario his one and only best friend created. He watched it all happen. The tears that fell from Juliet's face to the wine that dripped from Shawn's. Although he had not heard their entire conversation from above, Gus saw a friend that looked shaken, uneasy, and so fragile. Sure he had seen Shawn and Jules exchange their not so fluffy vocabulary with each other, but this was different. Gus didn't need to hear the conversation that had taken place fifteen seconds ago, nor did he require Shawn to articulate it to him in replay mode. Shawn, without a word, spoke through his grief-stricken eyes the two words Gus knew that one day would be spoken.

_She knows._

He had told Shawn from day one of their theatrical performances that he was bound to be caught, the truth would come out, and that they would be drawing chalk lines for months in the penitentiary. He watched as Shawn stood there chilled with nothing to say, moving his lips like he was trying to speak, but with no success as Jules ran out the door.  
Gus shook his head ever so slightly out of pity, while Shawn turned his view downwards toward the marble floor. All that played through both their minds at the awful moment was the atrocious reality of the situation. It wasn't a nightmare, it wasn't a dream, it was in fact happening. Here in the present moment Shawn stared at the truth while it played its devilish game. His worst fear beat him to a bitter end, and left his heart shattered like broken glass.

_She knows._

And it only took seventeen seconds to let it all brutally sink in.


End file.
